by Julianne De Witt | Sep 26, 2021 | Appetizers
Hummus is easy to make and when you add all the fun toppings, it’s way better than store-bought! Creamy, smooth, lemony hummus topped with chopped castelvetrano and kalamata olives, sliced radishes, crumbled feta, heirloom cherry tomatoes and fresh torn basil. So good!
Loaded Hummus
This one's a crowd pleaser! Lemony, creamy hummus topped with all the fun stuff - almost a meal in itself!
- 540 mL can chickpeas drained
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice more to taste
- 1/3 cup tahini
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp salt to taste
- 3 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 1/4 cup water more as needed
Toppings
- whole chickpeas
- chopped fresh basil
- crumbled feta
- chopped heirloom cherry tomatoes
- sliced radishes
- chopped castelvetrano and kalamata olives
- fresh cracked pepper
- Spike seasoning or salt as needed
- chilies
Add tahini and lemon juice to food processor and blend until creamy.
Add olive oil, garlic, salt, chickpeas and blend. Slowly add water and blend until perfect consistency is reached. Adjust seasoning as needed.
Add hummus to a shallow bowl, make a well in the center, pour in a bit of olive oil. Add fresh cracked pepper and chilies. Add hummus toppings. Serve with your favourite raw veggies, pita bread, crackers and pretzels.Enjoy!
by Julianne De Witt | Sep 23, 2021 | Desserts
This rum raisin apple crumble is a fresh take on my traditional crumble recipe. Heavy on the fruit and generous on the topping, which is more buttery oatmeal cookie than crumble. Make sure you have your favourite vanilla ice cream on hand to go with – it’s a must!
Rum Raisin Apple Crumble
- 1 cup of rum
- 1 cup of raisins
- 8-9 medium sized apples (gala or fuji) peeled, cored and diced
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
- 1 1/4 cup butter softened
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add rum and raisins to a small saucepan and place on medium heat until raisins begin to puff. Take saucepan off heat, cover and let sit for 10 minutes.
Add sliced apples, rum and raisins, white sugar, cinnamon to a 9x13 baking dish. Add cornstarch to a little cold water, add to apple mixture and mix well.
In a separate bowl add butter, oats, flour and brown sugar, mix well to combine
Add topping to apples, and press down lightly.
Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes to 1 hour until bubbly and lightly browned on top. Enjoy!
by Julianne De Witt | Sep 21, 2021 | Mains
A popular recipe with my family and friends. I like to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs in this recipe because I prefer them but chicken breast works well too.
I always keep a few bottles of the Naam’s Miso Gravy in my pantry. If you haven’t tried miso gravy before, you must. It’s packed with flavor and so delicious on roasted veggies, salmon, oven fries and makes a fantastic cooking sauce for chicken.
If you’re feeling fancy, add in some assorted wild mushrooms!
Serve with mashed potatoes, rice or soft polenta and your favourite veggies. Perfect fall meal!
Miso Chicken and Mushrooms
Course: Main Course
Keyword: Diabetic Friendly, easy weeknight meal, Low Carb
Servings: 4
- 10-12 chicken thighs boneless and skinless
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion sliced
- 2 cups mushrooms sliced
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1 bottle Miso Gravy I use Naam's
- 3 tbsp parsley chopped (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Working in batches, sear chicken thighs on both sides in olive oil over high heat (don’t cook through). Season with salt and pepper. Set aside. In a medium sized Dutch oven, lightly sauté onions and mushrooms in olive oil over medium heat. Turn off heat and add flour. Using a wooden spoon, stir to incorporate the flour into the mushroom mix.Lay chicken thighs on top of mushroom mix. Pour the bottle of miso gravy over top and bake in oven for 35-40 minutes, stirring once halfway through. Enjoy!
by Julianne De Witt | Sep 20, 2021 | Salads, Sides
Nut crusted goat cheese, pear and arugula salad with a simple Dijon vinaigrette. These flavours work perfectly together – warm, crispy goat cheese medallions nestled on top of peppery arugula and accented by sweet pears. The goat cheese is the star of the salad – breaded in panko crumbs and fried to a golden brown. A simple but elegant salad for any night of the week.
I like to use local goat cheese from Salt Spring Island Cheese – their cheeses are all handmade, using traditional methods and only natural ingredients.The secret to making these is to freeze the goat cheese first. That way, during the frying process, the coating gets toasted, while the cheese thaws and warms on the inside still holding it’s shape and not completely oozing out the sides.
You must try this salad. Even your picky eaters will love it!
Panko Crusted Goat Cheese, Pear and Arugula Salad
Arugula, sweet pears and rounds of crispy panko-crusted goat cheese served with a simple Dijon vinaigrette.
Servings: 4 people
Balsamic Dijon Vinaigrette
- 1/2 cup olive oil extra virgin
- 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 pinch salt & pepper
Salad
- 1 container (142g) baby arugula
- 1/2 cup pecan halves toasted
- 1 red or bosc pear halved, cored and sliced thinly lengthwise
- 1 150 g pkg soft, fresh goat cheese
- 1/2 cup panko seasoned with a pinch of salt and pepper
- 1 egg beaten
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Form goat cheese into 6-8 equal rounds. Place on plate and put in freezer for 30 minutes.
Prepare the vinaigrette. In a small jar, add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon, salt & pepper. Put lid on jar and shake to combine.
Add arugula, toasted pecans and pear slices to salad bowl.
Prepare the goat cheese. Place oil in sauce pan over medium-high heat. Remove goat cheese from freezer, dip in egg and roll in panko, pressing gently so that crumbs stick. Add goat cheese rounds to pan and brown for 2 minutes until golden then flip and repeat. Place on paper towel to remove any excess oil then add to salad, serve with vinaigrette and enjoy!
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